Turning-off device for phonographs



(No Model.)

T A EDISON TURNING-OFF DEVICE FOR PHONOGRAPHS.

Patented Mar. 24, ,1891.

[NYE/{TOR BY g 2 ATTORNEYJ'.

WITNESSES: W M

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS A. EDISON, OF LLElVELLYN PARK, lTElV JERSEY.

TURNING-OFF DEVICE FOR PHONOGRAPHS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 448,781, dated March 24, 1891.

Application filed July 30, 1888. Serial No. 281,455. (No model.) i

. blank, so that the blank maybe used for sucby the feed-screw.

cessive records, and so that the blank will be true for receiving the record on the particular machine. The knife acts with the recorder, the old record being removed and the new one being made at the same time. Here tofore such knife has been mounted on the rocking holding-arm of the machine, the knife being held by a lever pivoted upon the rockin g holding-arm and provided with an adj usting-screw for raising and lowering the point of the knife. The position both of the recorder and the cutting-knife is simultaneously adjusted with reference to the recording-sun face by means of an adj Listing-screw bearing on a straight guide-rest, along which it travels as the rocking holding-arm is advanced As the cutting-knife has been heretofore employed its proper adjustment required considerable skill, since it not only had to be adjusted to properly cut the surface of the phonogram-blank, butalso had to be adjusted with relation to the recording-point, so that the recording-point would at the same time track properly on the surface in rear of the cut of the knife, and this adjustment had to be such that the common adjustment of both these elements by the set-screw on the guide-rest could be made without disturbing the relation between the cutting-knife and the recordingpoint.

The object I havein view is to so construct the parts that a much simpler adjustment will be permitted, and a further object is to so mount the cutting-knife upon the machine that it will be moved laterally toward and away from the recording-surface with the recorder.

In carrying out my invention the cuttingknife is mounted rigidly and without an adj ustment upon the machine, and the recorder itself is provided with an independent adj ustment toward and away from the recordingsurface. This makes it possible to first manipulate the guiderest adjustment until the knife cuts a proper shaving from the surface, and then to adjust the recorder independently of the spectacle-frame which carries it, while holding the speaking-tube to the car, so that when the recording-point is properly tracking on the surface of the blank the op erator will be made aware of the fact by the continuous and uniform scraping noise. This makes an exceedingly simple and perfect adjustment, and one which willpermit the guiderest adjustment to be afterward made, lowering the recording-point and the knife for subsequent records without changing their relation. In order to best fix the position of the knife and the recording-point against possible disturbances, I prefer to mount the knife directly upon the swinging spectacle-frame which carries the recorder. By this construction, also, the knife is moved laterally away from the record with the recorder.

.In the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, Figure 1 is a sectional view of the phonograph, showing the knife in position for operation. Fig. 2 is a bottom View of a part of the spectacle-frame, showing the knife and the recorder. Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 1, showing a different means for adjusting the recorder; and Fig. 4 is a top View of the spectacle-frame with the ad justing means of Fig. 3.

A is the turning phonogram-cylinder of my machine, carrying the phonogram-blank B. The advancing rocking holding-arm C has pivoted to its upper end the swinging spectacle-frame D, having two eyes, one of which carries the recorder and the other the repro ducer. This frame is swung laterally to bring either of these instruments into operative relation with the surface of the phonogramblank. The recorder and reproducer are instruments complete in themselves and separable from the machine, each being carried by an annular frame E, which is insert-ed in the eye of the spectacle-frame, and is secured therein by a set-screw Cb. The recording-point Z) projects beyond the ring-frame E, in order to indent the surface of the phonogram-blank. F is the knife or turning-off tool. It is preferably attached to the under side of the swinging spectacle-frame i) just: above the eye holding the recorder. It is fastened rigidly in position to the spectacleframe and projects toward the point of the recorder, which it approaches as closely as possible, and terminates in an oblique cutting-edge. The eye of the spectacle-frame carrying the recorder is provided with a finger 0, through which passesa set-screw (l, resting on the straight guide-rest; G, along which it travels. By adjusting the screw (Z the cutting-knife and the recorder are simultaneously moved toward and away from the surface of the phonogram-blank. In order to secure the proper relative adjustment between the recordingpoint and the cutting-knife, I make the recorder independently adjustable in the eye of the spectacleframe, so that independently of the guide rest adjustment the recording-point can be adjusted toward and away from the surface of the blank. This adjustment ofthe recorder may be secured in various ways. Two means for securing the adjustment are illustrated by the drawings. In Fig. 1 a screw-ring II is shown, which embraces the edge of the annularframe E of the recorder and forms a shoulder for such frame, which rests upon the spectacle -fra1ne. By adjusting the screwring II the depth to which the recorderenters the eye of the spectacle-frame can be varied and the recording-point moved toward or away from the recording-surface. A slot c and pin fmay be employed to prevent the turning of the recorder when the adjusting screw II is being turned.

In Figs. 3 and l the annular frame E of the recorder is shown as hinged upon the spectacle-frame, it having an upwardly-extending lug g resting between two lugs on the spec- 1 taclc-frame and pivoted bya cross-pin which 15 removable. Opposite to the lug g the annularframeEof the recorderisprovided with a lug 71 through which an adjusting-screw 2' sets against the top of the spectacleframe.

It is evident that by adjusting the screw 1' the In adjusting the parts the recorder may be first raised so as to clear the surface, and the j screw (Z can then be adjusted to letthe knife down upon the surface of the blank until it IS seen that the knife is cutting a proper shaving to remove the old record.

isheld to the ear of the operator while the recorder is adjusted toward the surface by turning the screw-ring II or the set-screw 1'. When the operator ascertains that the recording-point is tracking properly by hear- The speakingtube is then connected with the recorder, and

ing the continuous and uniform sound of the recorder in cutting the surface, then he knows that the proper adjustment has been secured. He then binds the recorder in place by means of the set-screw a. The adjustment being once seen red, the relation between the recording-point and the cutting-knife will be maintained for subsequent manipulations of the guide-rest adj nstment so that the screw (1 can be adjusted to lower the recording-point and the cutting-knife simultaneously. It is only when the recorder is removed for any particular purpose and is again placed in position that the parts have to be readjusted. It will be seen that the cutting-knife, being mounted directly upon the spectacle-frame, swings with such spectacle-frame, and is brought into and out of operation with the recorder by the lateral swinging of the spectacle-frame.

1. In a phonograph, the combination of a cutting-knife mounted rigidly and without an adjustment on the machincand a recorder adjust-able with relation to said cutting-knife, substantially as set forth.

2. In a phonograph, the combination, with the rocking holding-arm, the guide-rest, and the guide-rest adjustment, of a recorder carried by a frame supported by the rocking holding-arm and the guide-rest, said frame having an adjustment toward and away from the recording-s11rface, and said recorder hav ing an adjustment toward and away from the recording-surface additional to the adjustment of said frame, substantially as set forth.

3. In a phonograph, the combination, with the rocking holding-arm, the guide-rest, and the guide-rest adjustment, of a cutting-knife and a recorder supported from said rocking 1 holding-arm and said guide-rest, said cuttingknife mounted rigidly and without adjust ment on the machine, and said recorder being independently adjustable with relation to saidcuttirig-knife,substantiallyasset forth.

-l. In a phonograph, the combination, with the swinging spectacle-frame carrying the recorder, of the cutting-knife mounted upon such swinging spectacle-frame, substantially as set forth.

5. In a phonograph, the combination, with the rocking holding-arm, the swinging speetacle-frame, the guide-rest, and the guide-rest adjustment, of the cutting-knife secured to such swinging spectacle-frame and having a fixed position thereon and the recorder adjustably held by said swinging spectacleframe, substantially as set forth.

This specification signed and witnessed this 16th day of July, 1888.

TIIOS. A. EDISON.

\Yitnesses:

\VILLIAM PnLZnn, A. W. KIDDLE. 

